Have iPhone? There is something hidden in screen that makes money for Apple

If you have an iPhone 15, iPhone 14, iPhone 13, or for that matter any iPhone since 2020, there is something hidden there that saves hundreds of millions of dollars for Apple.

Apple has been secretly incorporating microscopic QR codes into iPhone screens since 2020, as revealed in a report by The Information.

Have you ever seen a  QR code printed on your iPhone screen? These nearly invisible QR codes serve a vital purpose for Apple in controlling production costs and saving millions of dollars. 

The introduction of these QR codes has been a significant success, with Apple's suppliers reducing the rate of discarded glass cover units from 3 in 10 pieces to just 1 in 10. It resulted in substantial annual cost savings for the company.

The size of these QR codes is described as being as small as a grain of sand, making them visible only through specialized equipment.

On the iPhone 12, the QR code is placed just above the front speaker. However, you can find these engraved codes on the black frame at the bottom edge of the screen of recent iPhone models like the iPhone 15.

The primary objective behind implementing these codes is to enable Apple to track the origin of components and reduce defects in the production process.

Apple's Chinese suppliers, Lens Technology and Biel Crystal, have been known to challenge Apple's efforts to determine the true rate of defects, which can increase production costs.  

To accomplish this, Apple invested millions in installing laser and scanning equipment at the suppliers' factories to both add the microscopic QR codes and scan the cover glass for quality at the end of production.

The initial attempt to laser-etch the QR code directly into the glass caused the of weakening the screen, resulting in increased fragility.

Engineers at Apple had to develop new techniques using microscopic lenses with ring lights to successfully incorporate the QR codes without compromising screen durability.

The introduction of these QR codes has been a significant success, with Apple's suppliers reducing the rate of discarded glass cover units from 3 in 10 pieces to just 1 in 10. It resulted in substantial annual cost savings for the company.